Despair on Dressrosa
by Mangetsu-Yuki
Summary: [Alternate story line, Dressrosa Arc] "I am out of options. He will find me sooner or later, and when he does, he will make me pay for what he feels is genuine treason. And everyone knows pirates despise treason." [Please note this is a work of fiction and that the plot and\or characters may differ from the original. Enjoy!]
1. Taking care

**A/N~ Happy birthday to Law. ^^**

Life on Dressrosa wasn't all that bad, at least not for members of the Donquixote family. All they had to do, was serve the Young Master and follow his every command; for which they would be rewarded with a life which contained little suffering. It was a secure and nice way of living, though it played with people's sense of morality. Living on Dressrosa as a member of the Family felt like winning a game by cheating; they couldn't lose.  
A country with such a dark underworld, the suffering and horror many people must go though everyday; all of it was unknown to the Family. At least that side of life was.

"Purupurupurupuru"

I sighed as soon as I heard the Den Den Mushi and with reluctance, I put away the newspaper and got up.

"Yes?"

"Saria, we'll need your expertise again tonight."

"You make it sound like I have a Devil Fruit ability, Diamante."

"Then I gave you quite a big compliment, hm? Be ready at nine, we'll probably have a lot of victims."

"Yes, sir."

That idiot; Life saving doctors were more valuable than Devil Fruit users. At least more than their kind of users: The fiendish kind.

As I threw back the horn a little too roughly, my gaze was being pulled towards the window. When I saw the lump of pink feathers move towards the castle, I instantly panicked. The Young Master was an unpredictable man and whenever he was around, something bad was bound to happen.  
Acting on the feeling of uncertainty that welled up inside me, I dashed out of the room in search of my older brother, who should have returned this morning. Even though he was known for his unrivalled loyalty towards the Young Master, he still hadn't made it into the family. While thinking about his sense of duty and loyalty, I couldn't shake the memory of what I thought had been an order to kill.

It had happened three days prior, while I had been roaming around the palace, looking for one of the patients. I had heard Diamante talk on the Den Den Mushi and had clearly identified Dellinger as the receiver.

"It's a direct order from Doffy himself."

"Really?" Dellinger had sounded excited.

"Yes, you are to kill him on sight. That's all."

I hurried through the corridor, peeking behind every door that was ajar and knocking on those that were closed. About fourteen doors later, I finally heard the "come in" I wanted to hear and entered the room, closing the door behind me.  
Bellamy was sitting at the foot of the bed, seeming to be doing nothing in particular.

"Hey, what brings you here?"

I closed in on him and grabbed his wrist tightly. Even though I was standing straight, he was still slightly taller. He had grown so much over the last two years, he was probably closer to Doflamingo's height than to mine.

"Doffy is back. Listen, I heard something about an order to k-"

With a fair amount of noise, the doors swept open and in walked the big lump of pink feathers I had seen outside. Bellamy immediately got on his feet and stopped listening to me.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here, Saria. Follow me."

He only used the words necessary and walked right out the room again. Bellamy slightly pushed me forward, after which he resumed his sitting position.

"Tell me, dear:" Doflamingo turned around, standing three meters tall, looking down on me. Small, devil-fruit-less-me. "I have been told you've been eavesdropping. You know that's a bad habit don't you? Why don't you tell me just exactly what you've heard."

As he took one step forward, I took one back, until -after a few steps- I found myself unable to move.

"I should let you know that I'm an impatient man."

"I haven't heard anything, Sir."

I felt the strings that were holding me tighten and let out a shallow grunt.

"Fufufufu, does it hurt? You'll die if you don't start talking."

"You wouldn't kill me, I'm the best doctor you have."

Within a second I could feel the strings tugging and before long my wrists were held with one hand as the other prevented me from dangling like a doll by supporting my bottom.

"Just be glad it's not you." He hissed. "Who I choose to kill is none of your concern, got it?"

I wanted to speak my mind. Well, part of me wanted to. That part wanted to break free of this twisted lifestyle; the way life was treated like a game, existing purely for entertainment.  
But I kept my mouth shut, in fear of the punishment I was facing; in fear of Doflamingo.  
If only I had a way out; a key that could open the door to freedom.

"Yes, Sir."

"Fufufufu, good girl."

As soon as he had put me down, he started to walk down the corridor again, slowly strolling towards one of the rooms close to mine. I thought no one resided there.  
Doffy pushed the door and entered without saying anything. He didn't have to, for as soon as I entered, the screams I let out were probably saying it all.

"What happened to him?"

I rushed over to the guy lying on the bed and had to hold him down to prevent him from clawing at an open wound on his arm. He had his eyes closed though, and seemed to murmer something. Was he even conscious? It didn't seem like it.

" He tried to betray me, patch him up."

I took out swabs and tweezers and for a minute, I had trouble containing myself.

"If your intention wasn't to kill him, why did you go this far? Look at him, I'm not even sure he's conscious.

"Fufufufu, do I hear disagreement, Saria?"

As the Young Master put his left foot forward, I devoted my attention to the guy again and started to clean the wound.

"I'll come check on you later. You are not to leave this room."

As soon as the guy opened his eyes, his attention was fixed on the bandages covering his body. He examined them thoroughly before looking up to see my worried expression.

" You did this?"

His voice was weak and contained a sense of wariness, which made sense, at least to me.

"Yes. Don't move, you'll open up the stitches."

"Are you a professional doctor?"

"Yes. Hey-" I smacked him on the back of his hand. "I said 'Don't move'."

I sighed and grabbed the glass of water he was pointing to, after which I took place on the foot of the bed. For the first time today, I smiled.

"I'm Saria, the one who will take care of you. Is there anything you n-"

"Where's Doflamingo? "

The guy sounded determined, even though his face told me he didn't have much energy to back him up. The bags under his eyes indicated a severe lack of sleep.  
I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know. He is a busy man. Tell me, what's your name?"

For a brief moment, the flickering of wariness in his eyes turned into what appeared to be affection of some sort. He sighed and stared at the door while mumbling.

"Trafalgar Law."

It took me a few seconds, but then his name finally sunk in. I crawled over the bed, yearning for a better look of the face that belonged to the protagonist of the many stories I had heard. Unfortunately, I had never had the pleasure of meeting the famous 'Surgeon of Death.'

"So you're Law, huh."

My fingers were tracing the lines of his jaw as I carefully examined his features. So this was the guy who had dared to oppose the one man who killed without remorse.

"I didn't know I was that interesting. Maybe I should get hurt like this more often."

I shot up and mumbled an apology. As soon as I noticed my cheeks started to feel warmer, I quickly turned my face away from the bed.

"It's just that I've heard many stories about you. So I guess you could say that you're interesting."

"Tell me:" Law made an attempt to sit up straight, but I gently pushed him back and with a stern face, ordered him to stay put. "Do you like life on Dressrosa?"

His question was so sudden, asked with a certain purity; all I could do was stare at him in awe, until finally, I shook my head.

"Room"

Law lifted his hand and before I could stop him, he had created a blue orb around us.

"No one can listen in on us now."

His voice was calm: calm and collected. It was as if he didn't fear the Family or even Doflamingo himself.  
I could see Law's lips move and I could hear the words coming out of his mouth, but his proposal was so preposterous, I couldn't believe he meant them. After his monologue, all I could do was mutter a single sentence.

"So, you're my Key, huh?"

**To be continued **


	2. Making choices

I silently thanked the female servant who was leaving the room and gratefully grabbed the cup of coffee she had put down for me. As I tried to lower the coffee's temperature with my breath, my eyes wandered off towards Law.  
He looked so peaceful: His eyes closed, his breathing steady and his body covered in white bandages. Aside from a few scratches on his face, there wasn't a single indication of wounds left. If you didn't count the bandages that was.  
Law's words floated around in my head, unable to settle in a place that gave them a meaning I could grasp.  
The corners of my mouth took the form of a sad smile as I thought back about his question.  
His childishly pure question.

"Do you like life on Dressrosa?"

Of course I didn't. The Family was horribly corrupted and Doflamingo himself was nothing more than a monster.  
A vile and cruel monster that had ordered me to stay in this room until further notice. I had already been here for nine hours, I could use a break. Being locked up like this had made me crave for some fresh air.

As if he had heard my thoughts, Doflamingo suddenly entered the room, followed by Sugar. He strode along calmly, making his way towards the bed and inspecting Law's bandages.

"How is he?"

"He's stable, but asleep now."

Doflamingo focused his attention on me, leaving me with a shiver running down my spine.

"Fufufufu, why do I get the distinct impression you don't like being in this room?"

I tried to stare him down coldly, but as soon as the Young Master started to grin, all bravery faded away.

"Well," I muttered. "I have other patients to look after. Plus, Diamante had ordered me to be ready at nine." I glanced at the clock above the door. "That's only an hour from now."

One step in my direction was enough to make me flinch. After all, Doflamingo was almost twice as tall, compared to me.  
Besides: How could I win against someone who had obtained such a terrifying ability? Against someone who was so much stronger than me.

"Change of plans. You can go outside for a few minutes, but after that I want you to stay in here until morning. Fufufufu, aren't I generous? Make sure he heals quickly but properly."

Doflamingo quickly pointed towards Law, who was still sleeping, surprisingly. After that he strode away, leaving Sugar behind.

* * *

Even though the average temperature on Dressrosa was relatively high, it got significantly colder during the evening. The cold air brushed along my cheeks with every step I took.  
Sugar quietly walked in front of me, until suddenly, she turned around and smiled with her eyes closed, her head tilted.

"What is it?" I asked warily.

"Bellamy is going to die, you know."

It was as if she was singing the words. How could she be happy about something so horrific?  
I confidentially took a step forward as I tried to shake off the "worst-case-scenarios" that were trying to overtake my mind.

"What do you know?"

I had trouble preventing myself from grabbing her, but I knew Doflamingo was watching us. Sugar would never have said anything if it hadn't been a direct order from that monster. He was definitely scheming something.

Sugar kept on smiling and raised an explanatory finger.

"Dellinger is going to kill him during the Colosseum finals. If you want to save him, you have to hurry."

"The elimination rounds don't start for another two days, let alone the finals. Why would I have to hurry?"

I wanted to turn around, towards the palace, but I found myself unable to move.

"Doflamingo." I hissed.

It was as if he was trying to get a message across. _'You have to hurry because I'm unpredictable. I can kill him whenever I want to.'_  
I could hear his smug laugh in my head, as the short vision of him standing over Bellamy's corpse came with it.  
As soon as I felt the strings being removed, I fell to my knees and placed my hands on my head. All kinds of scenarios and possibilities started to occupy my mind. How was Dellinger going to kill Bellamy? On stage, for everyone to watch? Behind the scenes, where nobody would find out? Was Doflamingo even going to wait for the tournament finals to begin? What if he was on his way to Bellamy right now?  
And what about Law? Even though I had heard many stories about him, I had never known his precise connection to that monster.  
And of course, there was also the possibility of agreeing to Law's proposal.  
Suddenly, Sugar's sweet voice tore me away from my thoughts and brought me back to reality.

"Hihi, time is ticking away, Saria."

"Wait, Sugar!"

But the little girl had already run past me on her way back to the palace.

"You should check on Law," she sang. "Maybe Doffy got bored and killed him, hihi."

As Sugar disappeared inside, I took a deep breath and rushed back inside as well; my mind occupied with Sugar's words and the sight of lifeless bodies.

"Please be alright, both of you."

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Law slightly sat up -he tried his best to hide any indication of being hurt- and looked at my panting being as I leaned against the doorpost, trying to catch a breath.  
On my way over here, I had spend some time contemplating whether I should tell Law about what had happened and had concluded that he was worth trusting. He had rebelled against the Young Master himself, after all.  
And he was going to do so again real soon.

"I... Don't know what you're talking about."

Afraid that someone would be eavesdropping, I depicted the use of Law's ability.  
He knew what I wanted.

"Room."

Right after he had said it, the same blue orb as yesterday appeared. As soon as it had engulfed me, I felt a certain sense of relaxation. As if I were absorbed in Law's calm and composed aura itself. It was the same feeling I had had yesterday, during our talk.

"I want to talk to you about yesterday."

Law rose an eyebrow and nodded quietly.

"I accept your proposal: Law, let's escape together."

Law wanted to say something, perhaps express an emotion of sorts, but I wasn't done talking yet.

"I have one condition, though. I want to make sure my brother is safe as well."

"Brother?"

I nodded.

"He is one of Doflamingo's lower leveled followers."

I averted my eyes from Law's and tried to prevent them from welling up.

"Doflamingo is going to have him killed."

"How do you know?"

I took a deep breath and told Law everything that had happened yesterday in the corridor and just now, outside the palace.  
All he did was listen, genuinely.

As soon as I had finished speaking, we both looked around us, trying to find the right words to break the silence that followed.

"Then-" Law grinded his teeth as he tried so sit up straight. He came surprisingly far, but couldn't reach behind him to reposition the pillow. I sighed and slightly smiled as I fluffed it up for him. He didn't thank me.

"Then, can't you bring him?"

There they were again, those tears; trying to make it to the outside, trying to show my vulnerability. I did by best to blink them away, though and shook my head.

"His sense of loyalty will never allow him to run away like that."

"Why don't you leave him behind then?"

"He's my brother. Of course I can't leave him behind." I abruptly turned towards Law. "And stop using your ability, you're going to wear yourself out."

I could hear Law mumbling something under his breath.

"Hm?"

"You were the one who asked me to produce this room."

I didn't have a valid counter argument and decided to admit defeat.

"So," Law beckoned me with a smile. "What's your brother's name?"

I took a few steps forward and took place on the side of the bed.

"Bellamy."

Even though the silence had ironically said it all, I still had to take a look at Law's expression.  
The combination of disgust and contempt made me remember one of Bellamy's older stories.

"Oi, Saria. I killed six guys today! They were lowlife pirates, looking for One Piece. Their Captain had this weird ability where he could create blue orbs. Those inside the orb would get sliced and diced. But hey, at least they're number are reduced a little now! Your brother is amazing, huh?"

Finally, Law broke the silence and with that, immediately created a new one.

"You can do as you please, but I will never rescue or team up with that brute. So either leave him behind, or stay here yourself, it's your call, doctor."

**To be continued**


	3. Timing words

If the small room had had a bigger window, it might have been the sunlight that woke me up, but no. It was actually a sound that did the trick.  
As I opened my eyes, I could hear the sound of footsteps coming from the corridor. They stopped very close by, after which the person that they belonged to started to fiddle with the lock.  
Warily, I shot up and tried to make as little noise as possible.

_Could it be Doflamingo? No, that doesn't make sense._

He had locked the door yesterday, stating that he wouldn't be back until the following evening. It was why he had locked the door in the first place, so that I "wouldn't try anything funny".

_As if I would do something as obvious as to walk away through the front door._

After a few seconds the fiddling stopped and the door handle was being pushed down.  
Nothing happened, though, the door stayed shut.  
When I heard the footsteps again, I got up as silently as possible and peeked through the keyhole.

_You! What are you doing here? Go back before anyone sees you, you moron!_

A rustling behind me made me jump up and turn away from the keyhole.

"What are you doing?"

Sitting up straight apparently required less effort than it did yesterday, for Law's grunts were a bit more muffled and their quantity had lessened.

"I was- Nothing. How are you holding up?"

We both inspected the bandages.

"I'm fine, I think walking should be doable right now."

"Walking?" With skepticism, I raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so, you need to stay in bed for at least a few more days."

Law opened his mouth and lifted a finger, ready to speak his mind, but he just as quickly shut and lowered them.

_I wonder if he's thinking about what he said yesterday._

What shocked me next wasn't really his timing; it was his choice of words:

"Room."

"You really need to stop doi-"

Law waved impatiently and looked me right in the eye. It both comforted and discomforted me at the same time.

"Listen, I've been thinking. You-" He took a deep breath. "You can bring him if you want. But note that I will not help him in any way."

The underlying hatred in his voice had made me take a step backwards. After his words had registered, though, I quickly strode forward and sat on the foot of the bed.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

Law sighed and right before he made the blue orb disappear, he squeezed out a final sentence.

"You told me I shouldn't use my ability for too long. Go inform him once you're able to."

Even if could have found the words the respond to that, I still wouldn't have had the time to utter them.  
The door made little noise as it opened and it wasn't until I heard something else, I knew someone was there.

"Fufufufu, getting tired of this little room already?"

"I think he could use some fresh air, it'll help the healing process."

Chills ran down my spine as soon as I noticed the uncanny grin on Doflamingo's face.

_If only I had the strength to kill you. If only I could fight you like an equal, or better yet: be superior to you, you monster._

"Then this will be great timing, because I need to talk to that little brat in private. You-"

His long index finger pointed towards me.

"Be back in an hour and don't follow us, that's an order."

I nodded and quickly made my way out of that tiny, cramped room, trying to process Law's sudden change of heart.

* * *

I found Bellamy in one of the many rooms, working out. It took him a little while to notice me, but as soon as he did, he immediately stopped his training and turned his attention towards me.  
Exactly like he had done many years ago, when he had given up everything, just for me.  
That idiot, be always did something along those lines: sacrificing himself for my sake. This time I was going to repay the favor. I was going to save him.

"Bellamy, I need to tal-"

"Saria, I'm glad I got to see you. I've got some great news!"

With a genuine grin, he sat down on a green futon and beckoned me. I sat down on the red one across him and suddenly felt the need to vomit.

_He's going to bring bad news._

"So, you ready?"

_No, I'm not._

"Sure, what is it?"

As soon as he started to speak, I noticed how his words didn't register. I tried my hardest not to think about Bellamy's fate and instead did my best to focus on his story.  
I only managed to get the last part, though.

"... And then, if I win the finals, I can finally become a part of the Family, that's what Doffy said. Aren't you proud of your big brother?"

_Please don't go._

"I can finally obtain Doffy's acceptance and respect! "

_Why do you look up to him so much? I don't get you, Bellamy._

"I'll be sure to win that tournament! I will become number one!"

He was still wearing that confident grin if his. Just looking at him being so happy made me cringe.

"Don't compete, please."

"What are you talking about, Saria? Didn't you hear what I just said? I can join the Family if I win!"

_You idiot. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?_

"I have a bad feeling about the tournament, Bellamy."

"Why?"

_I can't talk to you right now, Doflamingo will, without a doubt, be eavesdropping._

"Could you help me out with a patient tomorrow?"

He was genuinely surprised.

"Again, why? You're being really vague."

"Please? I need really need your help. It's important."

* * *

"So he'll try to contact you tomorrow? We'll have to wait for that then."

Law was standing beside the bed, cleaning his upper body with cold water. He had removed the bandages before I had come back and had even prepared new ones. Even when he was busy with such an activity, he still managed to uphold his 'room'.

Affirmatively, I nodded and disposed of the bloodstained bandages.

"Listen, Law. I don't know how you managed to heal so ridiculously quick, but you still need to be careful. You said you wanted to carry out step one tomorrow, but are you sure you can handle that?"

For a second, Law stopped his little bathing session and looked over his shoulder; his eyes piercing through mine once more.

"You shouldn't worry about me, you should worry about yourself."

I wanted to continue any form of discussion, whether it be about Doflamingo, Law's plan, Bellamy's situation or even Law's change of heart, but I noticed how my vision kept on narrowing.

_I should sleep._

"You should sleep."

There it was again, that ridiculous timing of his, as if he constantly knew what I was thinking.  
The mixed feeling of comfort and discomfort came over me again.

"Yeah, maybe I should," I muttered, yawning.

Within what must have been minutes, I was lost in the world of dreams, or so I thought.

_Those footsteps, are they real?_

"I'm going to get something for you. "

_That whispering voice, is that Law?_

"I will make sure you can get stronger."

_This is a dream, right? It must be._

"I'll be right back.  
Room.  
Shambles."

**To be continued**  
**Up next: Law's little letter.**


	4. Joining forces

The corridor was empty, even though it was just past noon. Normally places like this would be filled with guards, but for some weird reason, there weren't any today.

With a set of cuffs in his hand, Law walked slowly and with caution; thinking about how hard this task would have been if he had really been as hurt as he had pretended to be.

His body could take an awful lot and it would take much more than that squabble between him and Doflamingo to make him immobile.

His acting skills had gotten him in the castle's 'hospital', from where he had planned to take back a few of his old belongings and then quickly escape on his own.

Until he had met Saria.

He felt bad for her: A woman, trying to escape, but too weak to succeed. Something about her made him want to help the her.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Her innocent question floated around in his head.

Because he wanted to save her at all costs. He wanted to save an innocent life.

For once.

The soft tapping of his heels against the marble tiles was the only sound Law made.

As soon as he heard a sound different from the one he produced, the surgeon immediately shot into one of the rooms of which the door was ajar.

Within seconds, his back was pressed against the white wall next to the door as he tried to control his breathing.

The sound of footsteps got louder.

_Stay away._

And louder.

_Please, don't come any closer._

When the door slowly opened, Law was ready to use his ability. Until he heard a certain voice, that was.

"You sure are defiant, aren't you, Law?"

He relaxed his shoulders and stepped away from the wall, focusing his attention on the woman in front of him.

"I have to say: I'm surprised you're still here, Violet. I thought you had made plans to escape."

A sad smile appeared on her face and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm like a lion without courage." She said, softly. "I have the claws to fight, but I lack the bravery to face that man."

Law knew she was right. The powers of her Giro Giro No mi were quite useful, but the she herself wasn't.

"Listen," Violet said as she stepped forward, closing in on Law. "I have something you're looking for, but in exchange for that, I want you to take me with you. How about it?"

_This isn't like you, Violet._

"What kind of 'something' are we talking about?"

Then, as the beautiful woman spoke, the surgeon's eyes got bigger. He would have never dreamed this part of the plan would run so smoothly.

They agreed Violet would bring 'it' later that day. It apparently was as simple as that.

As Violet scouted the area for any people who might be nearing, Law scanned the room; looking for something -anything- that belonged to him.

No such thing was found.

"We're in the clear." Viola whispered. "Leave now and you won't run into anyone if you're quick."

Law nodded and walked towards the door. As he passed Viola, he felt something being handed to him.

"He was the one who kept on trying to visit, but couldn't enter."

"What are you-"

"You'll get it later, now go."

As he shook off his confusion, Law returned to his room with caution.

It took him back, being here again, roaming these corridors like he used to years ago.

The place where he had made a promise to Viola that he'd rescued her.

_So you are joining me after all. I don't know if I can handle the pressure of saving two women, though._

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of his room, whispering the same words he had uttered when he had left.

"Room.

Shambles."

* * *

Law's biggest relief was the fact that Saria was still asleep. She seemed like she hadn't moved from the moment he had left.

Convenient.

As the surgeon crawled back in his bed, he hid the Sea Prism cuffs underneath the pillow.

He had figured running into someone with a Devil Fruit ability was highly likely and had stolen the cuffs as soon as he had left the room.

Of course he had known where to get them. All thanks to his well-trained memory. It surprised him that Doflamingo hadn't rearranged the rooms, though.

It seemed like he wanted to hold on to some sort of nostalgic feeling. Or not, Law couldn't be entirely sure.

A rustling sounded from within the room and Law slightly shot up.

"Hrm... Don't leave me... Stay... I... Live... Hrm... Kill Do-"

When Law did his best to form a logical sentence from the words spoken by Saria, he almost fell out of bed as soon as she suddenly flicked her head sideways and slowly got up.

She looked like a zombie during its awakening; Law hoped to never see something like that again.

Saria looked around, her face flustered.

"Good morning," she said, rubbing her eyes gently.

"Good afternoon, you mean."

"How are your wounds?"

"Almost fully healed."

Underneath the blanket, Law clutched the piece of paper Violet had handed to him tightly, wondering what it could be.

If only he would have inspected it more closely.

Suddenly, there was a sound on the other side of the door and within seconds, it swooped open.

In walked Diamante.

"Saria, we will be needing your services for a little while."

The doctor stood up and, with reluctance, followed her superior, leaving 'the wounded man' behind.

Said 'wounded' man immediately opened what -when he took a look- appeared to be a letter.

Even though it wasn't addressed to him.

_Little sister,_

_The Mera Mera no mi will be yours. I'll get it for you and explain everything then._

_Stay safe._

Suddenly, Viola's hint made sense. _He was the one who kept on trying to visit, but couldn't enter._

Of course. An idiot like Bellamy would be pacing in front of the door, just waiting to get caught. That amateur.

It explained the occasional pacing footsteps and attempts to fiddle with the lock Law had heard.

Law felt the need to chuckle sarcastically, but refrained from doing so. It seemed to be inappropriate towards Saria.

Still, that idiot of a pirate wasn't the brightest. Trying to get her a Devil Fruit in such a way as to win an unfair Colosseum fight, why couldn't he have found one earlier?

Just like Law himself had done this afternoon.

* * *

All that worrying had seemed to really strain Saria, for the Zombie that had woken up this afternoon wasn't all that different from the one that had returned when the sky had already darkened.

She threw herself on a chair next to the bed as she looked at Law, who had hidden the letter once again underneath the sheets.

"I want to sleep again so badly. Do you require further attention this evening?"

Law chuckled darkly.

"There is one thing."

There was a quick knock on the door and before Saria had noticed Law had said the word 'room', he had already returned.

"I'd like you to take one bite."

"I'm not hu-"

Law took a step forward and held the deep red fruit in front of her.

"One bite."

The female doctor sighed and did what he asked of her. At first, she wanted to complain about the terrible non-fruity taste, but as soon as she had swallowed a piece, there was something completely different on her mind.

"You-" her face had turned more pale and her eyes had widened. She took tiny steps backwards until she was backed up against the wall.

"You gave me a Devil Fruit."

"Now you can fight. It was what you wanted, right?"

As soon as Law detected a slight smile, he felt as if he had taken the first step. That important first step towards saving -now- two people he wanted to save.

"So?" He asked smugly. "How do you like your new powers?"

**To be continued. **


	5. Crying tears

**A/N ~ I'm sorry it took so long for this chapter to be put up, but some of the events in my life have been eating my time the way Luffy eats meat. I'll do my best to post a chapter every week. Now, please enjoy. ^.^**

* * *

"Now, you have two choices: You can either show me, or I will torture you long enough so that you will never be able to lift another finger."

I could see movement behind the angry, tanned face in front of me and prayed that everyone would stay put. Especially the one who was blinded by rage.

"So tell me, you defiant little bitch. Whatever will your choice be?"

For a moment, all the fears I had felt for so long, disappeared and I could see my own angry eyes in his sunglasses' reflection.

Firstly, I needed to take a deep breath. Secondly, I let out what must have been the bravest word I had ever uttered.

"Neither."

* * *

**Earlier that day**

The events of the past hour had gone by so quickly, I had trouble processing them.

_"So, how do you like your new powers?"_

Law's words of last night echoed in my head, gaining impact every time I heard them.

_"I love them."_ I had replied. There wasn't much else I could say to express my gratitude. He had done this for me, for weak little me. He had made me stronger, I wasn't going to let him down.

Law and I were running though the corridors of the palace, avoiding as many guards as we could. Whenever we encountered some, Law knocked them out before I could even try my powers.

_The Aka Aka no mi, huh?_ I wondered. _I can't wait to test it properly._

"Saria!"

Law's voice sounded stern, as if he called me in a scolding manner.

"Y-yes?" I muttered.

"Keep on moving, we're nowhere near safe."

* * *

"-Then you take the second left, and you should be at the storehouse. Go inside, hide and don't move until I come back."

"But what are you-"

Lew sighed as we ran through the streets of Dressrosa. He looked away as he spoke.

"I have to pick someone up."

I nodded as I separated from Law at a T-junction.

"Be safe," I whispered.

* * *

A rustling sound came out of nowhere. The sudden fear that came over me was one I had never felt before. What the hell was I thinking? That, now that I had gained power by chance, I could defeat someone like Doflamingo without training? My opponents had been using their powers for years: They had mastered them perfectly. I, on the other hand, had received them a few hours ago and for most of those hours, I had been hiding behind a stack of cardboard boxes. How could I have had so much confidence without even using my powers once?

_If it is Doflamingo who's entering, I'm dead meat._

"Saria?"

The soft female voice brought tears to my eyes. Of course she would have known my location; the Giro Giro no mi was a very useful fruit.

"V-Violet?"

As soon as I stood straight, and looked at the emotional woman in front of me, I couldn't hold back the tears that had been waiting to come out.

"Violet!"

Her body was warm, pressed against mine. It made me aware of the fact that it had been quite a while since we last hugged.

"I'm so glad you're alright."

Violet grabbed my shoulders and guided me back towards the cardboard boxes, where she took place next to me. We hugged a bit more before we were interrupted by another sound: The sound of Law's voice.

"I'm back," he muttered. "You can come out now."

I stood up so ferociously, I almost knocked over a few of the boxes.

"Law, finally! I've been waiting here for so-"

I couldn't finish my sentense, nor could I do anything else. All my body was occupied with, was staring and standing still. I detected a sad smile on Law's face, but other than that, no useful information was processed. Well, that wasn't true: There was one thing and one thing only. Tears started flowing again and I almost tripped while trying to move forward as quickly as possible. I wanted to hold him; to tell him that everything was going to be fine.

"Be- Bellamy..."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

Again, my brother didn't speak. He just alternated staring at me and the ground. He looked broken, somehow."

Law walked passed me, towards Viola. For a very brief moment, his hand tightly grabbed my shoulder.

"He's had a very rough morning."

In the background, I could hear Law and Viola muttering, probably improving our plan. I took a few steps forward, only to see the pain in Bellamy's face grow with every inch I gained on him.

"What's wrong?"

Bellamy grinded his teeth. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn I saw tears emerging.

"Bellamy?"

He sighed and dropped on his knees. My eyes hadn't been lying to me: He was actually crying.

"Sarkies..." He muttered.

I looked at him with uncertainty, afraid to ask for more information than he wanted to tell me.

Bellamy stayed quiet for a few seconds, probably trying to find the right words for the continuation of his story.

"He killed Sarkies."

And that was all the information I needed. I instantly knew who the killer was, and I knew -generally- what had happened.

"I just got a call this morning, saying he was executed in Mock Town."

A fist hit the ground.

"Bellamy, your knuckles, they're-"

"He killed him! He fucking killed him for no reason whatsoever!"

The few tears started to turn into a small stream of salt water, dripping on his cheeks. I had never seen my brother like this. My brain rapidly started to search for ways to comfort him, but all I could do, was clutch my hand against my mouth while staring at the broken man before me.

"He was- was my best friend. He never hurt Doflamingo or any of his followers. SO WHY DO THIS NOW?"

"Bellam-"

"WHY?" He looked up to me; his eyes puffy and defeated. "What's the point of killing someone who didn't form a threat in the first place?"

I took a few more steps towards the shaking shoulders before me; until I could finally hold them. It was hard to properly hold someone far bigger than myself, but I did my best to comfort him the way I know our parents would have done. If they had still been alive, of course.

"Saria," Bellamy's voice was clearly weakened by the energy he had put into mourning. "We have to kill him. We have to avenge our beloved ones."

I wanted to answer him, I wanted to ensure him that we were going to murder the one who had caused all of us so much harm. But before I could speak, a sound from outside the storehouse got all of our attention in no time.

"Fufufufu, I know you're somewhere out there. How about we play a little game, my defiant doctor? Either you come out alone, or I will find every person dear to you and-"

There were probably a lot of ways I could have reacted, that were better than the one I had picked. But my uncanny rage towards this man was something I couldn't control; not now. As I stormed out of the storehouse, I could hear Law whisper something, but all my attention went out to one thought: I have to kill this man here and now; I have to end this.

* * *

How could I have been so stupid? For a brief moment, while charging towards Doflamingo, I had actually believed I could kill him. Of course, my confidence backfired almost immediately. Doflamingo now held my arms, leaving me dangling in front of him.

"Fufufufu, hello, my dear doctor. I've heard something interesting about you. Something about a Devil Fruit you stole from me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I was surprised by my own calmth.

"Fufufufu, that won't do. Now, you have two choices: You can either show me, or I will torture you long enough so that you will never be able to lift another finger."

I could see movement behind the angry, tanned face in front of me and prayed that everyone would stay put. Especially the one who was blinded by rage.

"So tell me, you defiant little bitch. Whatever will your choice be?"

For a moment, all the fears I had felt for so long, disappeared and I could see my own angry eyes in his sunglasses' reflection.

Firstly, I needed to take a deep breath. Secondly, I let out what must have been the bravest word I had ever uttered.

"Neither."

Then there was a brief silence. I had hoped my prayers of everyone staying where they were had been heard, but no. Unfortunately, the moments to come decided what kind of story this was going to be: One about revenge.

"Doflamingo! I will kill you! This is to avenge the ones you have hurt, the ones I loved! SPRING HOPPER!"

"Bellamy, no!"

I could hear the springs do their work, I could hear Bellamy yell something about Sarkies. After that, all I heard was the sound of flesh being pierced.

"Bellamy!"

"Fufufufu, you lowlife fool."

I could hear a sentense in my head, ever so clearly, spoken with emotion. Even though my brother had said it only moments ago, it felt as if -from that moment- years had passed.

_-We have to kill him. We have to avenge our beloved ones.-_

**_To be continued _**


	6. Saving lives

_"What are you drawing, Bellamy?"_

_The little boy looked away from his crayons and into his mother's eyes. _

_"It's a Devil Fruit, mom! They say that if you eat one, you will get special powers. I really wanna eat one, so I can become a super cool pirate!"_

_A warm chuckle filled the room. _

_"My my, aren't you ambitious. So, Mr. Pirate, are you going to travel all alone?"_

_As the boy nodded, his crayons were almost destroyed by the feet of his little sister._

_"Pirate! Pirate!" Saria shrieked. _

_Bellamy looked at her with a stern face. _

_"No Saria, you can't come with me. It's really dangerous and scary to be a pirate. You should stay here, where it's safe."_

_The toddler didn't understand.  
_

_"Saria too! Pirate fruit, pirate fruit!"_

_"Mom, can you tell her she can't come?"_

_The mother chuckled yet again as she grabbed both of her children and put them on her lap. _

_"Now listen you two, the most important thing is to take care of each other. Bellamy, you're the big brother, you should protect your sister. And Saria, you should always listen to your brother when he needs you to, alright?" _

_"Alright!"_

* * *

**_Years later  
_**

_"Find every last one of them! These are direct orders from Doflamingo: Take all the research material and round up everyone who is involved with this project!"_

_Midst all the chaos, ignited through the wishes of one man, a teenage girl and two of her friends tried their best to remain hidden. _

_"There should be one more here!" A man yelled._

_"You mean the bitch with the blonde hair?" Another one replied. "I already took care of her. All we have to do is find her kids. Should be two of them, a guy and a girl."_

_"You check upstairs, I'll stay here, in case they come looking for their mother."_

_Saria did her best to remain silent, but the thought of her mother being taken away by the men that were now in her house, was unacceptable. _

_"You filthy-" _

_Saria wanted to whisper more, but one of her friends' hands prevented her from doing so. She shook her head and looked at Saria with a stern face. _

_"I heard something!" One of the men uttered. "They're somewhere in this room; search everything!"_

_There was some rustling and some panting, which resulted in one of the men's eyes meeting Saria's. _

_"She's here! And there's two more, what a nice bonus! So long girls."_

_"Saria, ru-"_

_And there it was. As Saria looked at the blood that poured from her friend's mouth, she let out a high-pitched scream. It wasn't much later when another lifeless body collapsed and met the ground. _

_"Satomi! Nina!"_

_The men just laughed. How could they laugh? They had just killed two innocent teenagers. Both men took a few steps in Saria's directions, making it clear that she would be next. _

_"Now, little missy, prepare to meet your end."_

_It was at that moment that Saria's life flashed before her eyes. She was sure she was going to die then and there; murdered by two unknown men for an unknown reason. _

_Until she heard the sound of shattering glass, that was. _

_"No one has the right to harm my little sister!"_

_A blond man rushed past Saria, headed for the two killers. He grabbed one of them by his neck and hurled him around the room. Next, he placed his hands on the ground as if to prepare some sort of attack. _

_"Spring hopper!"_

_All I could hear was the sound of the men screaming and grunting. In just the blink of an eye, the room was stained with their blood. _

_The blond man who had caused for this to happen, stood straight and turned around._

_"Saria, are you alright?"_

_For a brief moment, I looked around the room. As my eyes were pierced with the sight of my two friends, I collapsed. Bellamy rushed towards me and caught me right before I hit the ground. _

_"Satiomi and Nina" I cried. "They killed them."_

_As my brother comforted me by holding me tightly, I buried my head in his chest. It had been quite a while since I had felt so safe. Safe and loved. _

_"What's going on?" I muttered. "Who are all these men raiding the city?"_

_Bellamy sighed and picked me up. _

_"We can talk about that later. For now, we need to get out of here."_

* * *

_"…And that's why Doflamingo ordered them to kill or capture everyone involved with this particular research."_

_Bellamy took a sip of his sake and turned to a man he had introduced as Sarkies. _

_"We should be safe on our ship for now though, I believe that feathery bastard isn't interested in pirates like us."_

_I slowly drank my sake and looked at my brother. I could still not fully grasp what was going on.  
_

_"Doflamingo… Isn't he one of the Shichibukai?"_

_Bellamy nodded._

_"Why would he be that interested in research regarding different types of Devil Fruits? I mean, that doesn't sound like it could be that valuable."_

_Sarkies sighed and stood up as soon as Bellamy gestured so, which resulted in us being alone in the small room aboard the ship. _

_"Listen." Bellamy spoke slowly as if to make sure my brain recorded every word spoken. "What Doflamingo wants, is to recreate the Devil Fruits and sell them at a high price. He also wants to be the only one able to do this, for it would mean he could monopolize that market."_

_My eyes widened._

_"Are you saying that he is killing people just so he can make money?"_

_Bellamy shook is head._

_"That's not all. You could say that making money is just a side quest. Doflamingo is searching for a certain pirate for some reason and he's probably hoping that these acts will lure him in."_

_"A pirate? What's his name?"_

_"Something with 'Law'. I don't know his full name."_

_I looked up at Bellamy, with one question burning at the tip of my tongue. _

_"How… How do you know all this?"_

_Bellamy sighed and looked away. _

_"I'll tell you that later. For now, I have a huge favor to ask. Could you come with me to Dressrosa?"_

_"What is Dressrosa?"  
_

* * *

"Bellamy! Oi, keep it together Bellamy!"

I looked at the small puddle of blood in front of me.

"Stay with me, you idiot, you're not going to die here!"

That smile. My brother's smile touched my core, making tears flow in a rapid pace.

"I'm so sorry, sis. I couldn't protect you."

Bellamy coughed.

"I'm afraid I've lost too much blood. Nothing we can do now."

My brain was now working overtime; scanning for a way to save my brother. If it weren't for my new powers, I didn't think I would have been able to come up with something that would work so well.

"Law! Violet! Grab my arm."

As the two came from behind their hiding place, I could see their flustered faces. Violet was the one who needed the clarification most.

"What are you plan-"

"Hurry up!" I yelled; the tears still very much present. "Do it!"

Though I knew this wasn't the smartest way to try and save a life, there was nothing else I could do. The upcoming action would give Doflamingo what he wanted; to see my powers. Even if that wasn't something I wanted to grant him, I still preferred it highly compared to potentionally losing my brother.

I would have expected for Law to deny my request. After all, Bellamy was one of the pirates whom had killed men of his crew. Still, there was something that caused him not to do so; a thought that occupied my mind of a brief second. There wasn't much time to think about their little background story, though, for saving my brother was now my number one priority.

"Hold on tight," I ordered the two. "This could drain a little bit of energy from all three of us."

Before executing my last hope, I looked towards the self-proclaimed King of Dressrosa as he stared back with pleased eyes.

"Come on, little doctor," he hissed. "Put on this little show for me."

I bit my lip, trying to focus on Bellamy instead of my boiling anger.

"S-Saria."

"Don't talk, you moron, I am trying to save your life here. We made a promise when we were little, remember? Now, how are you going to protect me when you're dead?"

That smile again. The smile of a loving brother I had wanted to see more.

"Aka aka no drain."

I could hear Law and Violet grunt a bit.

"Pump!"

**~To be continued**


	7. Finding traitors

"I still can't believe you managed to save him like that."

Violet sighed as she looked at Bellamy. Her face was pale, just like mine and Law's.

We had been able to get away from Doflamingo for now; all thanks to Law's ability. We were surrounded by beautiful flowers and high trees. It made me wonder if I would have the luxury to die in such a stunning place.  
Bellamy was sleeping on the grass next to me; his eyes closed in statisfaction. After all, he was to live another day.

"So the Aka-aka no mi ables you to do blood transfusions, huh?"

Law sat across from me, resting his head against a rock.

I nodded.

"I remember my mother telling me about it. It's known as the Red-Red Fruit, or Blood-Blood fruit. It is highly desired by doctors all over the world. They say that it can cause anyone to become the world's greatest doctor. Funny how it ended up in my hands."

I gazed at Law as I spoke slowly.

"Thank you. For all you've done."

He produced a sarcastic hiss.

"Don't thank me just yet. All I did was bring you the fruit; we aren't exactly safe yet."

The awkward silence following that sentence was broken by Violet's curiosity.

"But what did you do exactly?"

As I explained my abilities to her, my hand went through my brother's soft, blond hair. Even though he probably wouldn't notice it, I had a feeling it would calm him down a bit.

"I've drained some of our blood and pumped it into Bellamy's body, making sure he had enough blood to be able to live. I simply patched him up after Law brought us here."

Violet nodded.

"So, what now? How do we get away from Dressrosa?"

I wanted to answer that question. Just a simple answer, a simple plan we would be able to execute without any hardships. It could have been so easy. But of course, it wasn't.

"Yes, how do you plan on escaping?"

I shot up as soon as I heard the deep voice coming from above. My eyes shot wider and I immediately ordered Law to take Bellamy and Violet somewhere else. As soon as they had left, Doflamingo descended and I couldn't help but panic. Was he going to kill me here? Was I going to die in such a beautiful landscape after all?

"You know," he took a few steps forward. "I wouldn't have predicted you'd make it this far, little doctor."

His eyes were locked onto mine, as if he was trying to read my mind.

"That was a very impressive move back there. To think you could pull something like that off, after only having your powers for about a day. I must say, I didn't think you would be able to save a life already."

"I'm a doctor, it's what I do."

I took a few steps back as the King approached me. He seemed so confident, as if he was genuinely convinced he had already won this game of hide and seek.

"I have an offer to make, my dear. An offer you will probably be unable to resist."

"The only offer I could ever accept from you is for you to leave me and my brother alone," I hissed.

"Fufufufu, what a coincidence." The smirk that emerged was one that scared me. Doflamingo was up to no good, I knew he was.

"I'm willing to let you and that meathead brother of yours off the hook."

Of course he wasn't going to do that, I was sure of it. A monster like the Heavenly Demon would have no intention of letting me go that easily.

"What's the catch?"

"Hm? catch?"

I could feel the anger well up inside me.

"Yes, the catch. You didn't think I was going to believe a little act like this? You are planning something, working an angle. So, what is it you want?"

The smirk grew even wider and without me noticing, Doflamingo had popped up behind me.

"Fufufufu, I can't believe an idiot like Bellamy is actually your relative. You're a smart one Saria. All I need you to do for me is to bring me Law. You do that, and I'll personally make sure that you and your brother can get of the island and live your lives in peace."

"So all you need is for me to bring you Law?"

Doflamingo grabbed my shoulders and turned me around, so that I were to face him. As he came closer he started to whisper.

"That's all. I'll let you think about it for a while, but let me tell you this: If you decide to decline my offer, I will hunt all of you down, even if it costs me my own life; which won't happen of course. And I'll give you a little piece of advice, doctor-chan: Don't trust those close to you or you might be in for a nasty surprise."

"What do you-"

"You have until midnight to decide. Don't worry, I won't attack you for the rest of the day, and neither will my men. We need to keep this little game interesting, don't we? Fufufufu."

* * *

_We simply can't keep this up; this game of cat and mouse. I have to make this decision in order to save Bellamy. He finally wants to escape and I finally have the tools to make it happen. Then why do I feel terrible even considering the option to trick Law. _

As I strolled back, in search for my companions, the image of the Captain emerged as soon as I closed my eyes.

_Why do I feel guilty? Law shouldn't mean anything to me? He may be a surgeon, but he is also a dangerous pirate. If I could use him as a sacrifice, I could finally free Bellamy. WHY does my heart keep telling me that even considering this option is wrong? _

_"Don't trust those close to you or you might be in for a nasty surprise."_

_Had Doflamingo been talking about Law? No, that can't be; Law wouldn't have gone through the trouble of getting me a Devil Fruit, only to betray me afterwards. He is way more cunning than that. Violet won't be betraying us either, and Bellamy being the traitor isn't even an option. Then... Who?_

I noticed the steps I took were getting smaller, as if my body was making sure I had more time to analyse this situation. Maybe Doflamingo just wanted me to doubt my comrades, so that he could get what he wanted: Law. I still didn't know what he wanted with him anyway and I had to admit: I was getting more and more curious.

_"Doctors save lives, Saria. They never take them."_

My mother's voice caused for my legs to stop moving. I caught myself looking around, as if, for a moment, I really believed she would pop up from behind one of the trees. Of course, she wouldn't.

_Is that why my heart won't let me consider taking Doflamingo up on his offer? Am I scared that I will be held responsible for indirectly ending Law's life if I do? Maybe..._

Because of my contemplating and spacing out, I hadn't even noticed the ones who I had been looking for were right in front of me. Bellamy was still sleeping and Law and Violet were standing up, their eyes locked on each other's. Part of me wanted to run up to them, asking what was the matter, but somehow, I kept still, watching the scene in front of me unfold.  
Luckily, they were so focussed, they didn't notice me.

"Just admit it," Law hissed. "Admit it, leave and don't come back."

"I have nothing to admit, Law. All I want is to leave Doflamingo's reign and live a happy life, just like you."

"You know that's not what I want, Violet."

"You can never kill Doffy, you know that, right?"

"Doffy." Law slowly repeated the name she had given the demon. "So you really are working with him, aren't you?"

"O-of course not."

"Really?" I hadn't heard that sarcastic tone in Law's voice ever since I had met him. He suddenly looked and pointed at me. "Then why don't you explain to US that even though your Giro-Giro no Mi can scan surroundings for 4000 kilometers, you still couldn't give us the heads-up that Doflamingo was coming our way?"

It was at that moment that Violet fell to the ground. Even though I was quite some steps away, I still took a few back, for the laugh Violet produced was one of the creepiest I had ever heard.

"You two have no idea what's going on, do you?" She took a few big steps towards Law, her eyes suddenly empty, locked onto mine. "Fine, I'll tell you. But first..." A few more steps. "I'll kill YOU for Doffy's sake, Trafalgar Law!"

**~To be continued**


End file.
